Saturday, April 02, 2011
Joel Tavarez's Prospect To The Top, the fifth-fastest qualifier and 2-1 favorite, recorded his second career stakes victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $160,400 West Texas Derby at Sunland Park.
Ridden by Jacky Martin for trainer Ralph Muniz, Prospect To The Top covered 400 yards in :19.091, defeating second-fastest qualifier Fredona by a neck and earning a 91 speed index. The bay colt returned a $6.20 win mutuel and teamed with Fredona, who was sent to post at odds of nearly 7-1, for a $20.20 ($1) exacta dividend.
DM Strait, a 28-1 longshot, ran third, a neck behind Prospect To The Top, to complete a $124.50 ($1) trifecta.
Prospect To The Top was bred in Texas by Sue H. May. The colt's 11-year-old sire, Coronas Prospect, was a finalist for AQHA champion 3-year-old colt in 2003, and his starters include Kiss A Corona, the winner of the 2009 Oklahoma Horsemen's Association Futurity (RG3) at Fair Meadows at Tulsa.
Coronas Prospect stands for a $2,000 fee and is one of three Quarter Horse stallions standing at Maui Farms at Purcell, Oklahoma.
Prospect To The Top's dam, is the Easily Smashed mare Cream To The Top.
The $75,388 winner's share of the West Texas Derby purse, the third-richest in the stakes 48-year history, increased Prospect To The Top's bankroll to $311,718. The colt has won five of his nine races, including last year's 400-yard, $313,000 Hobbs America Futurity (G2) at Zia Park in :19.26. He also placed ninth in the $1.9-million All American Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs.
Choose finished fourth and was followed by The Steel Wave, Inkys Fisherman, Unashamed, fastest qualifier Cobrita, Southern Formed, and Lady Of The Mountain.
Fredona was coming off of a nose victory at odds of 13-1 in her West Texas Derby trial on March 18. The chestnut daughter of Corona Cartel has earned $49,472 from two wins in four outs for her owner, Valle Guadiana Corporation.
A gray gelding by champion Separatist racing for Juan Esquivel, DM Strait has been campaigned exclusively in New Mexico. DM Strait has earned $37,269 from one win in 12 starts.